September 27, 2013, 6:00AM

Felix "Zoo" James, a coach and administrator in New Orleans schools, died Sept. 18 in Memphis, Tenn., of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 93. Mr. James was born in Gerard, Ga., and moved with his family to New Orleans when he was 5. He lived in the city until he moved to Memphis after Hurricane Katrina. A graduate... Full story »

September 26, 2013, 6:38PM

Local representatives on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education visited East Jefferson High School in Metairie, Joshua Butler Elementary in Bridge City and Woodland West Elementary in Harvey on Thursday to hear the concerns of Jefferson Parish parents. Members Jim Garvey, Kira Orange-Jones and Carolyn Hill fielded questions from parents that ranged from concerns about Common Core,... Full story »

September 26, 2013, 1:49PM

Louisiana is seeking more education providers for Course Choice as it tries to expand the mini-voucher program next year. Course Choice began in August with the public paying for online instruction for about 2,400 students who are enrolled in a failing school or one that doesn't offer a class they want. The program ran into funding issues when its initial... Full story »

September 25, 2013, 7:21PM

Lake Forest, an eastern New Orleans charter elementary school, has been named a Blue Ribbon exemplary high-performing school by the U.S. Department of Education. The school had a letter grade of A last year and the sixth-highest performance score of all public elementary schools in Louisiana. Nationwide, only 286 public and private schools received the federal government's Blue Ribbon... Full story »

September 25, 2013, 4:06PM

Members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are speaking at Jefferson and Orleans Parish public schools Wednesday and Thursday. They are congratulating schools on showing growth in student achievement. Board president Chas Roemer and members Connie Bradford, Jim Garvey, Carolyn Hill, Judith Miranti and Kira Orange Jones are visiting Alice M. Harte Elementary, John Dibert Community... Full story »

September 25, 2013, 11:58AM

The University of New Orleans has been awarded two federal grants totaling $750,000 to research topics such as maritime and freight transportation. The Merritt C. Becker Jr. UNO Transportation Institute will get $500,000 through its membership in a consortium that the University of Arkansas leads. Its work will focus on sustainable maritime and multimodal transportation systems. The rest of... Full story »

September 25, 2013, 10:32AM

If you even remotely follow education debate these days, no doubt you've heard or read about Common Core. Common Core is a set of educational standards 45 states, including Louisiana, have adopted. It has become quite controversial and stirred vocal opposition. Full story »

September 25, 2013, 10:14AM

Civil District Court Judge Christopher Bruno has ruled that the New Orleans inspector general has the authority to audit the Orleans Parish School Board. Bruno denied the board's motion to quash IG Ed Quatrevaux's subpoena for financial records, in a decision that could affect many public agencies and boards. The judge based his decision on two points: Furthermore, Bruno dismissed the... Full story »

September 24, 2013, 10:12PM

More than 50 years after the March on Washington, one of the architects of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famed "I Have a Dream" speech spoke in New Orleans on Tuesday with his own message: End the violence. Clarence B. Jones, one of King's chief speech collaborators and political advisers who was on the podium with him when he delivered... Full story »

September 24, 2013, 8:38PM

Common Core opponents vented their anger Tuesday night to St. Tammany Parish School Board members -- and in some cases, to each other -- during a meeting in Mandeville that got loud at times. In a crowded meeting room at Lake Harbor Middle School, more than 100 parents shouted questions, challenged School Board members and vowed to fight the... Full story »

September 24, 2013, 2:45PM

The University of New Orleans has received a $121,000 federal grant to develop turbines that will turn ocean currents into electrical current. The money from the National Science Foundation will go to UNO's School of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Leading the initiative is Nikolas Xiros, an associate professor of naval architecture and marine engineering. He has said that... Full story »

September 24, 2013, 2:24PM

The U.S. Education Department on Tuesday named two Jefferson Parish public schools as Blue Ribbon Schools. Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies and Ella Dolhonde Elementary, both in Metairie, were recognized as schools where students are achieving or making great gains in the classroom. To be eligible, a school must be nominated by its state. At least one third of... Full story »

September 24, 2013, 10:57AM

A high-profile lawsuit over Gov. Bobby Jindal's school voucher program could be on a fast path to resolution. The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday that Louisiana has agreed to provide key documents about the program, which the department has said may have reversed desegregation gains. The two sides are set to meet in court on Nov. 22 to... Full story »